Solid propellant binders which employ inert polymers yield a lower specific impulse as compared with solid propellant binders which employ energetic binders. Examples of inert or nonenergetic polymers are polyglycol adipate (PGA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and polycaprolactone (PCL). Thus, the replacement of inert polymers by energetic polymers will improve the performance in both tactical and strategic propellants while maintaining good mechanical properties and processability.
An alternate consideration for achieving high performance propellants for future tactical and strategic systems includes obtaining high performance by employing high solids of oxidizers such as cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX) or cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) and/or high content of high energy plasticizers such as nitroglycerine (NG). This alternate approach particularly, which involves high solids of HMX or RDX and increasing the high energy plasticizer content leads to other changes such as degradation of mechanical properties and processability and changes to shock sensitivity which makes the approach of improving performance by replacing of inert polymers (PGA or PEG) with energetic polymers a more desirable approach to increasing specific impulse. Energetic polymers which are compatible with nitroglycerin is an additional, attractive benefit.
Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a method for synthesis of an energetic polymer for use in nitrate ester plasticized propellants.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for synthesis of an energetic polymer which is very compatible with nitroglycerin.